Nights in Aldbourne
by day8dreamer
Summary: Katie was a nurse working in Aldbourne when she met Joe Toye... although she told herself not to get involved with any of the soldiers she worked alongside, they were drawn together from the first time they met. rated M for later chapters. Based on the TV characters (taking some literary license) and my OC. I don't own the characters, obviously. [J. Toye/OC pairing]
1. Chapter 1

She could remember the first time she had spoken to Joe Toye. Having spent several months as an army nurse in Aldbourne, she had gotten to know many of the men of Easy Company after they arrived in England. They came into the clinic with a typical array of broken bones, cuts, and scrapes; common mishaps that were the result of training accidents or simply of nervous soldiers with too much time on their hands. Anticipation of the inevitably approaching jump, coupled with beer and testosterone, made bad decisions commonplace.

It was a bad decision that had brought Bill Guarnere into the clinic that day, needing stitches for a gash on his shoulder that was the result of an ill-advised bet and a short-lived motorcycle race. A few of the other men from Easy - Toye, Malarkey, and Perconte, had walked over to the clinic with him, so tease him about his misfortune and the two packs of smokes he had lost in the race.

"Damn Guarnere, you'd better take it easy or you'll never make it to the jump, especially without any cigarettes," Perconte teased.

"Yeah, yeah, fellows but look here," Bill replied, "you think I come all the way over here for some stitches? Nah, I just needed to say hello to my beautiful doll, Katie here. Been too long since I seen her. Ain't that right gorgeous?" He turned his head up towards her with a grin and a wink.

She blushed slightly, gave a small smile and looked back towards the group of them, deflecting Bill's compliment. "I know those Germans won't be as happy to see you lot as I am. If you're half as much trouble as I've heard Easy company has been here so far, they're about to have a rough go."

"Damn straight sweetheart!" replied Bill, to which both Perconte and Malarky gave a chuckle. She looked up again and found Toye smiling slightly, but looking at her intensely with eyes that were so dark they were almost black. As the other men chuckled, he did not break eye contact with her, turning up one corner of his mouth and raising an eyebrow as he studied her face. He was so handsome, and so serious. She spent a moment mesmerized before she snapped out of her trance.

It felt like a jolt of electricity had run through her body as she slowly began to remember that she had to look away. She turned her eyes down to finish placing the bandage on Guarnere's shoulder and busy herself with cleaning up the aid station.

When she came over to England after finishing her trauma nurse training course, Katie had told herself that she needed to be careful around all of these soldiers. There were many, many lonely guys, but with the impending action, she had promised herself that it would be easiest to remain emotionally unattached to them. It helped her to be able to do her job, and she was careful not to let their flirtations, often just mindless chatter given that she was one of just a few girls they saw in a day, go to her head. She measured her replies to be kind and could return a witty joke easily, but she never took it too far, guarding herself against giving any one of them the wrong impression.

The truth was, there had been a man in her life back home in the states. He had broken her heart by breaking up with her after enlisting, telling her that it would be easier this way. She tried not to think about how much pain she was still in, although each day was better than the last. She became numb to thinking about romance, and instead focused her energy on her work. Still, at night, she wondered where he was. Somewhere in Italy, according to the letters she got from her hometown friends. She wondered if he was dead or alive - or on a hospital bed like the ones she spent her days walking amongst.

"Alright fellas, that'll do it. Try to stay out of trouble, please?"

"Sure doll. Hey thanks a million, knew that you'd fix me right up," Bill replied with a smile. As Perconte and Malarky echoed "thanks Katie" and turned to leave, she looked up and saw Joe's intense gaze again. "See you 'round," he said, his voice low.

"Goodbye," she said quietly.

As the men headed out the door, Malarkey turned back.

"Hey, Katie - there's a party tomorrow night, you should come," he said.

"And bring any of your nurse friends you'd like!" added Perconte, to which Malarkey nodded and Guarnere smirked.

Joe had turned back and looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed, but she couldn't read the expression he made. As she looked at them, she couldn't help feeling a bit like she did want to see him again.

"Sure -well, I'll try if you boys don't keep us so busy here in the clinic tomorrow with your feats of strength," she replied.

They smiled and waived, turning as they headed out the large double doors onto the gravel street back to base. She glanced up and watched them go. As they faded further away, she almost thought she saw Joe glance back his left shoulder at the clinic, but she wasn't sure.

She thought about him that evening when she walked back to the upstairs flat she had rented about a mile from the clinic, above a milliner's shop. Maybe she would go tomorrow night. She thought she could get Irene and a few of the other nurses to join her. Even if she went, she thought, she needed to be sensible and stop ruminating about Joe Toye. He may not even speak to her, and in any case, it was still best not to get attached. She felt a bit embarrassed when she realized that she would be terribly disappointed if he paid no attention to her at all.

That night as she drifted off to sleep, she allowed herself the luxury of thinking about him one last time. She imagined what it would feel like for him to wrap his arms around her, or for his lips to be on her mouth, her neck, her….

She woke the next morning with a start, and realized that she had dreamt of him - her heart was racing, and she was undeniably aroused. She stood up and glanced at herself in the mirror, letting the fog of the dream burn off for a bit longer.

As a car horn outside her window startled her, she sighed and turned the tap on, splashing cold water on her face. _Enough_ she thought, as she let her mind turn instead to coffee and the busy day she would have ahead at work.


	2. Chapter 2

Katie was exhausted by the end of the day, and if it weren't for the excited chatter of her fellow nurses, she would have skipped the party altogether. Her best friends at the clinic, Irene and Joanie, urged her to reconsider when she stated initially that she was too tired to go.

"C'mon Katie, just let me come back to your place with you after work, and I'll help you get ready - even fix your hair," plead Irene.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Katie asked, positioning one hand above her head to check on her hairpins, as she realized how most of this morning's hairdo had come undone. "You know what, never mind, don't tell me. There's no need to help me pick a dress, either, as I only have the one."

"You know I'm dying for a dance with that blonde trooper who was in here a few weeks ago," confessed Irene. "Please? For me?"

Katie had relented soon thereafter and when she arrived back at her flat, she picked up the green dress hanging in her closet to give it the once over. _Not great_ , she thought. _But, it will have to do_. She had loved the dress when she bought it two years ago, but things like fancy clothes seemed a frivolity she did not have time for in her life since she enrolled in nurse's training.

Staring in the mirror, she picked up her hairbrush and tried to make sense of her light brown locks, tightening the victory curls in the front and letting the back. She touched up her makeup, and was grateful she had squirreled away a little bit of perfume in her suitcase. Putting the scent on her wrists and collar bone, she took a moment to luxuriate in the scent, letting memories from before the war wash over her. One coat of red lipstick finished her routine, and putting on her coat against the chilly spring air, she scurried down the stairs and out into the night towards the pub, about mile down the road.

The pub was rowdy and full of soldiers; there must have been at least ten men there for every girl. Katie was relieved to quickly spot Irene and Joanie at the front corner of the bar, and walked over quickly. She felt completely conspicuous and a little nervous about the number of stares that came her way when she walked in. Even after several months over here, it wasn't easy to get used to that kind of gender imbalance in a social atmosphere.

Several of the guys from Easy were already chatting with Joanie and Irene. Malarkey cried out over the crowd "Hey there Katie!" once she had a drink in her hand. "How's about that dance you promised me yesterday?"

"I promised you a dance?" she replied, raising one eyebrow.

"Ahhh - yeah I distinctly remember that you did, right Perconte?" he replied.

"Mmhmmm," said Perconte with a nod of his head, "that's what I heard too."

"Whoa Katie, doll, look at you all done up!" interjected Guarnere, who had just walked over to the bar. "Are these guys bothering you? I can get rid of em for ya real quick!" he laughed as he punched Malarkey in the shoulder.

"Alright, one dance," she said with a smile, letting Malarkey take her hand and lead her out onto the small dance floor at the back of the room. Someone had set up a record gramophone in the back, and a slow love ballad came on over the speaker.

As Katie and Malarkey danced, they made pleasant small talk about the song, the pub, and the miserable rain and fog that never seemed to let up in England. Don's hand on her back made her feel a little bit like a normal girl again, the way she had felt before the war was on. Her nerves started to settle as the beer she had entered her bloodstream, and she realized the evening could actually be a nice time.

Looking over his shoulder, she caught Joe's eyes. He was watching her intently from across the room. _What the hell_ , said the glass of beer she'd had at the bar, _give it a shot_. Returning his gaze, she smiled.

George Luz, who was standing next to Joe, caught the exchange. "Heyyy Romeo, you gonna talk to her?"

Joe turned back and grabbed him by the collar. "Shut the hell up and get me a beer, George."

"Alright alright, of course," Luz handed him a beer. "She's one of the nurses from up at the army clinic, ain't it?"

Joe hadn't returned the smile, and Katie wasn't sure what to think when Don politely returned her to her group of friends at the bar. She turned down her next dance offer to grab another drink, and she had just set it down when she realized that Joe had crossed the room to stand next to her.

When she looked up, he _almost_ smiled, and held out his hand. "Joe Toye - it's Katie, right?"

"Hi Joe," she replied. _Say something, say something_ her brain urged, but she was so nervous that she wasn't sure what to say. _Surely this is silly,_ she reasoned, _why should I have butterflies around this guy? Snap out of it!_

"I ah, I noticed Malarkey's impressed you already with his moves, but could you give me a chance to outdo him on the next dance?" he asked, extending his hand to her.

"Sure," she replied. _Don't grin_ she willed herself _and definitely do not let him see how much you are blushing_.

Joe was a good half foot taller than her, she realized as she reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. Her right hand fit neatly into his left, and she thought she felt her heart skip a bit when he put his right hand on the small of her back. She felt like he could read her mind, and her dream from last night must surely be all over her face.

"So, Katie - what's it like to be a nurse?"

"Well, it's - it's challenging. A bit grittier than I expected, actually," she replied.

"What'd you do before the war?" he asked.

She was having trouble making herself coherent while she looked at him, mesmerized by eyes that were so dark that every glint looked like a drop in a deep pool. "I ah - I was in college but I dropped out. This seemed more important. What about you?"

"I worked in a mine, mostly. From Pennsylvania."

"Do you like the paratroopers?"

"I mean, yeah I think so. Same kind of bullsh- sorry - same kind of… hassles as anywhere in the army. But this unit is something special. Wouldn't want to be fighting next to anyone else."

He paused. Katie resisted the urge to bite her lip out of nervousness, reminding herself that lipstick was not easy to come by these days.

"Your eyes are so beautiful."

Now she was blushing, and she was sure he could see it. "Thank you, Joe."

"They're so blue."

The song ended and they both paused for a moment, before coming to an unspoken mutual agreement to continue to dance through the next song. Katie was enjoying speaking with him. She liked his quiet, serious voice and the way she felt his gaze soften when he looked down at her. He lowered the hand on her back a fraction of an inch, and pulled her slightly closer. He smelled like shaving cream and smoke. She closed her eyes for a moment and told herself she should fight the urge to lay her head on his shoulder.

The next song never came, the bar having been overtaken by a rowdy chorus of drinking songs that erupted after a particularly exciting chugging contest. Katie looked over to see Bill Guarnere with a silver pin between his teeth, the victor. The nurse in her could only think about how easily he could have choked.

"You easy guys are a little bit of trouble, I think, that's why I see you so often in the clinic."

Joe smiled, then paused for a moment with his thoughts. "How about you let me see you outside of the clinic?"

"Are you asking me for a date?" Katie replied.

"Yeah, I am. Let me walk you home tonight."

"Okay," she murmured. "I'm ready to go when you are." She glanced back at Irene, who had the long arm of the blonde trooper wrapped around her shoulder. She would be in no hurry to go. Joanie caught Katie's eye, and grinning, gave her a small waive goodbye as she realized Joe was waiting to escort her out.

The mile back to Katie's place was a pleasant enough stoll, and they walked slowly. Joe told her about growing up in Pennsylvania, and cautiously inquired about her background. She got a sense that he was sizing her up, and had decided that she seemed to have been raised more affluently than he was.

"This is me," she gestured to the flat above the milliner's when they arrived.

"Listen," said Joe, "I'm expecting a weekend pass this weekend. Can I pick you up here Saturday for dinner? Say yes."

She was equally flattered as grateful for his straightforward, confident charm. "Yes." She said. "Thank you for walking me home."

He leaned in close to her, and murmured "sweet dreams, beautiful" in her ear before placing a deliberate kiss on her cheek.

She felt like she was floating on air as she walked up the stairs. Certainly, she hoped her dreams would be as sweet as they had been the night before.


	3. Chapter 3

As the rest of the week came and went, it became clearer to Katie that she was going to have to work a shift on Saturday afternoon. The staff at the clinic was not so big that she would be able to shirk it off, so she resigned herself to knowing that she was going to have very little time to get ready before Joe came to pick her up for dinner.

As it turned out, Saturday was an extremely busy day. An ugly car crash on base involving a couple of soldiers and a local resident brought in three patients, each in need of a surgeon. Katie was on duty and called in to one of the three surgeries, for a soldier who had a deep gash across his upper chest, broken ribs, and most frightfully, a leg that had been almost severed, with the flesh ripped apart down to the femur.

As Katie helped the surgeon, trying to stem the bleeding as much as possible, the soldier was in dire condition. _This is too gruesome_ , she thought, _to go like this before even getting into the war._ The surgery dragged for hours and due to a knick in his artery, she was covered in blood. It matted in her hair and all over her uniform. After several hours, when she thought she would faint from exhaustion, she was relieved by the next nurse on duty. The surgery was still underway, the soldier's fate unclear. She stood dumbfounded in the hallway of the clinic, with blood smeared all across her face and hands.

"Come on, Kate," Irene came up next to her. "Let's get you washed up and change your uniform. I've got a spare you can borrow to walk home in."

"Thanks," she replied. "What time have you got?"

"About ten til seven," replied Irene. "Your date is with Joe is tonight, isn't it?"

"I'm going to be late, and I look like a complete mess."

"He'll understand. C'mon, we'll get you cleaned up a little it bit at least so that you don't frighten the villagers and the soldiers in the ward on your way out."

Even after the scrubbing, she was a mess. There was blood matted in her hair and all over her shoes and hose. She felt close to tears as she took the walk up back to her flat.

She arrived to find Joe sitting on the bench across the street from her flat, with a handful of daisies wrapped in parcel paper. He stood when he saw her.

"I'm so sorry, I just got caught up in this surgery this afternoon and I know I'm so late…" she stammered.

"I heard about the car accident on base. It's okay." He scrutinized her face and the general state of her hair, eyeing the bag she had in hand that was stuffed full of her bloodied uniform. There was more red than white. "Is it, I mean, are you… is everyone alright?"

"I don't know," she replied, her voice breaking, "he was in bad shape and I just….I don't know what they're going to tell his family…." she drew her hand to her face and finally let the emotion of the afternoon get to her. She tried to hold back the first sob, knowing that once she did she would have a difficult time getting her tears to stop. Her shoulders heaved and she felt Joe walk toward her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"C'mon, let's just get you upstairs so that you can sit for a minute. There you go."

"I'm so sorry that I'm such a mess today. I told you this nursing work was more gritty than I had thought but today was…."

"It's alright. You don't need to explain," he replied as he followed her up the stairs to her flat.

When they got inside, Katie dropped the bag with her bloody uniform on the floor. "God, I must look like a fright, I…." she started to cry again, fresh tears running over the old tracks that had been traced on her dirtied face. "I'm usually not so upset but today was just… really hard…."

"C'mon, hey, it's alright," replied Joe. He set the flowers down on her little kitchen table and walked towards her, this time enveloping her in a hug. She let her head rest against his chest and felt his strong arms wrap around her back and shoulders. He lifted one hand and stroked her hair. She let herself cry as she sank deeper into his shoulder. The warm, masculine scent was a comfort, and his soft, low voice was soothing. "Why don't we just sit for a moment, c'mon." He coaxed her over to the couch, putting his boots up on the settee. She curled up on his side, head on his chest, and gingerly put her right hand up on his chest, as well. It felt a little strange, but also so wonderful, to be lying this close to him.

"Let's just stay here for a minute, yeah?"

"Alright," she replied, wiping another tear from her cheek. She let out a sigh.

After a little while, she woke with a start, realizing that she had fallen asleep in his arms. She lay immobile for a few seconds, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. He was breathing slowly, and when she finally moved her head, she saw that he had fallen asleep as well, head leaned back on the top of the couch. He woke, opening one eye in her direction, as she sat up.

"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for the flowers." He smiled, opening his second eye.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm… just, thank you, for what you did. Today was difficult."

"I don't mind," he paused. She bit her lip, realizing how close his face was to hers. He stared into his eyes, amazed at how dark they were. She could feel herself begin to blush.

"You must be starving," she said finally, "I'm sure we've missed dinnertime." She glanced at the clock on the wall of her kitchenette, "it's already about nine. Can I make you something here? I think I have some eggs, and… maybe something else. I just need to wash up, first."

"How about," he mused, "you just go take a hot shower, and I'll see what I can do about dinner."

She flushed at the idea of taking a shower with him inside her apartment, but conceded. "Alright," she said, "try not to burn the place down then," she teased with a little smile.

"No promises there, sweetheart."

"Everything I have is in the icebox or around top in that leftmost cupboard," she said, gesturing towards the kitchen, "pots and pans are in the cupboard on the right."

"Alright, lemme see what I can do," he said. "Go on then."

She stepped through the small doorway separating her living room and kitchenette from her bedroom, and rounding the corner into the bathroom, she flipped the hot tap on, closing the door behind her. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror, and she was certainly a mess. _God_ she thought _I must be scaring him to death_. She stripped off her clothes, aware now of how naked she was and with him just a few feet away. She could hear him opening and closing the cupboards, the clang of her frying pan hitting the stove.

She sighed deeply as she stepped into the shower, letting the hot water run over her. She could see the streams of red circling the drain as she washed her hair. Grateful that she had sprung for the nice lavender soap, she cleaned off the rest of her face and body. Standing under the steaming water, she felt she could have stayed there for hours, but willed herself to step out and dry off, wondering how Joe was getting on in the kitchen. She stopped to listen for a moment but didn't hear much. She did smell the distinctive odor of toast.

She looked in the mirror and brushed out her hair. Luckily, all of her makeup was in the bathroom, and she took a few moments to apply some mascara and blush. Better, she thought, as she turned towards the door and stopped, _oh my god - what am I going to put on?_ She was not used to having anyone else in her apartment, and all there was on her door was a towel and her silk night robe. _Oh my god_ , she thought _, there is no way at all I can walk out in just this…._ She slipped it on and quickly formulated a plan to walk into the bedroom and add some more clothing. _This is so awkward_. _He's going to think this is some kind of desperate come on and I am throwing myself at him…_

She tiptoed out into her bedroom, and saw him with his back to her at the stove. Quietly, she urged the door almost closed, and walked over to her dresser, hidden by the door. "I'll be out in a moment!" She called nervously, as she slipped on a bra and panties, pawing through her drawer for something decent to put on. She settled on a navy cotton sundress, totally out of season but at least it covered everything up. Nervously, she opened the door and walked back out. His presence was calming and exhilarating at the same time. _The only reason you are so nervous_ she reasoned _is because you've let yourself want him so badly_.

She put on a tentative smile as she saw Joe sitting at a table covered in toast and what looked like some questionably cooked scrambled eggs. He walked over and pulled a chair out for her, pushing the chair in as she sat.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah, thank you," she replied, "thanks for all this," she added, picking up a piece of buttered toast. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until this moment.

"Well, look, I ain't much of a chef," he gestured toward the eggs.

"It's great," she smiled, taking a bite before pulling a face. He stared at her and they both broke out into laughter. "Alright, it's horrible. The toast is fine though!"

He chuckled, "Go ahead and be honest then. I'm used to army food so I don't mind eating it."

She kept laughing, "No, Joe, it's really… I mean…. Just, thanks for doing this for me."

"Alright," he smiled.

As they ate, she asked him about Philadelphia, about his training, and he coaxed a little bit out of her about her home back in Chicago. He was not long-winded by any means, but was willing to give her enough to keep the conversation going. She realized as he spoke that she was falling a little bit in love with the sound of his voice, and the way he would draw his eyebrows together when he was making a serious point.

When they had finished eating, he grabbed his plate and started to stand. "No -" Katie said, "let me," as she stood and grabbed his plate. He stood up in front of her and slowly took the plate from her hand, setting it back down on the table. His stare was serious, and intense. He reached his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her drew her body against his, and put his other hand behind her head, in her clean, wet hair. As she tilted her head upward to meet his gaze, he leaned in and kissed her. His kiss was soft, but insistent. As she began to return the kiss, she let her right hand trail up his chest, her left hooking around the back of his neck. After a moment, she felt him begin to pull away from the kiss, but leaned in more deeply, opening her mouth slightly against his to find him doing the same. It was bliss.

When at last he pulled away, he looked down into her eyes. "You smell so good, baby," he said in a low voice.

She was barely breathing from the thrill of the kiss and looked back up at him. "Kiss me again, Joe," she whispered, and he leaned back in, tightening the hand in her hair and lowering the hand wrapped around her back.

This kiss was faster, more needy than the last. He drew his tongue out and entered her mouth, lightly, brushing against her tongue. She caught his lower lip between hers and ran across it with her teeth, biting lightly. He groaned, and she felt his chest rumble. She couldn't believe how bold she was being, and yet, the idea of making him groan in pleasure was too intoxicating to resist. She felt his breathing quicken.

"God, do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" he asked when he finally pulled away. She looked at him and bit her lip, her cheeks flushed, and her mouth pink and slightly swollen from the kissing. She wasn't sure what he would say that was, exactly, but she could tell from the wetness between her legs what he was doing to her.

He stroked her face with his thumb. "I'd better quit while I still can, Katie." She smiled, but he kept the same serious expression. "When can I see you again?"

"Whenever you want, Joe," she said quietly.

"Next night I have off is next Friday," he said.

"Next Friday, then," she replied.

He smiled, and kissed her once more, chastely, on the cheek. "Goodnight beautiful," he said.

"Goodnight," she replied, breathless. He turned to leave, putting on his uniform issue hat, and she added, "thank you for the flowers."

He pulled one side of his mouth into a smile, winked, and walked out the door.


End file.
